It’s a commonly accepted belief that some sporting events, championships or series are less important than others. Most sports fans would quickly agree that a Serie B game is less compelling than a Serie A, that a Moto3 race is less fun than a MotoGP, and that a GP2 Championship gives fewer thrills than the more extravagant Formula 1.

There are, of course, different championships for different skill level, popularity and audience size. Because of this, it’s easy to believe that the scale of the championship corresponds purely to talent – but this isn’t always the case.

Of course, football or basketball might have the most high-profile championship series – but in motorsport, for example, the distinction between categories is operated on technical criteria, including the power of the vehicles. In boxing, the distinctions go either by weight order or by leagues or championships (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO). In short, the distinctions are multiple – and are not always based on ability or skill level of athletes or drivers.

Having made this clarification, it’s important to talk about the benefits that are obtained in sponsoring categories that aren’t necessarily at the “pinnacle” of the sporting world – for example, Moto2 and Moto3, GP2, Serie B, Lega Pro, and so on. The list of series at this level is potentially infinite and can offer an exceptional sponsorship opportunity for brands.

Here we’ll look specifically at motorsport (and especially at Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship), but the theory can be applied broadly across multiple other sporting disciplines.

Why Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship opportunities have big potential

It’s clear that the amount invested in Moto2 and Moto3 sponsorship is decidedly lower than that invested in MotoGP. However, this is an error on the part of brands. With the money that’s needed just to ensure visibility in MotoGP, brands can undertake far-reaching campaigns in Moto2 and Moto3. The money, with which you can do so much in terms of effective sports sponsorship at this level, just doesn’t go as far elsewhere.

So, is it best to be big fish in a small sports sponsorship pond – or vice versa?

The question is clear: having a fixed budget of X Euro, is it better to invest in a smaller space and have a clear impact within a more niche area, or invest in a big and visible brand that will mean smaller placements and a potentially watered-down campaign – albeit to a broader audience?

Sure, MotoGP has greater visibility and audience than Moto2 and Moto3 in terms of numbers – but it is equally true that if you use photos and videos for communication campaigns across the latter two series, it is more than likely that your logo and branding will have a much greater prominence for those that do see it. We’ll explain why below…

A focused, dedicated audience

The audience of the MotoGP is wide, transversal and international. This is obviously a big plus for those who offer products and services of large consumption, but it can be overkill for those companies and sectors that target very specific demographic, such as technical suppliers or manufacturers of accessories and spare parts.

In addition, unlike the MotoGP, which is seen by a truly polyphonic audience, lovers of Moto2 and Moto3 are passionate followers, constant in their viewing of the championships and very informed about their favorite drivers. They are a dedicated, targeted audience, rather than a wide and sporadic one – so if your brand aligns with their needs and interests, your ROI is likely to be higher than if you’d made a different choice.

They’re a sensible choice for brands who want to test the waters

Good sports sponsorship must be managed, activated and monitored with constancy and dedication. Management background, knowledge of the industry and the possibility to immediately follow with large sports sponsorship packages are already available in many companies. That’s why a first step in Moto2 and Moto3 could be useful to get a taste of what is needed to deal with more expensive, high-profile sponsorships.

How smaller championships and series can offer greater flexibility

While the most prestigious and lucrative series are unlikely to grant “extras” or break the rules of their very well-established guidelines and strict sponsorship programs, smaller classes, such as Moto2 and Moto3, lend themselves more to experimentation and flexibility when it comes to sports sponsorship. The packages they can offer are often easier to compromise on or made bespoke, which can be a great advantage for companies looking to protect their own brand (and get a good ROI) whilst also elevating themselves.

We are always ready for a chat, contact us at info@rtrsports.com

2020 Moto2 Entry List

2 JESKO RAFFIN SWISS NTS RW RACING GP NTS
7 LORENZO BALDASSARRI ITALIAN FLEXBOX HP 40 KALEX
9 JORGE NAVARRO SPANISH SPEED UP RACING SPEED UP
10 LUCA MARINI 		 ITALIAN 	SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KALEX
11 NICOLO BULEGA 	 ITALIAN 	FEDERAL OIL GRESINI Moto2 KALEX
12 THOMAS LUTHI 	 SWISS 		LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP KALEX
16 JOE ROBERTS 		 USA 		AMERICAN RACING KALEX
19 LORENZO DALLA PORTA   ITALIAN 	ITALTRANS RACING TEAM KALEX
21 FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO ITALIAN 	SPEED UP RACING SPEED UP
22 SAM LOWES 		 BRITISH 	EG 0,0 MARC VDS KALEX
23 MARCEL SCHROTTER 	 GERMAN 	LIQUI MOLY INTACT GP KALEX
24 SIMONE CORSI 	 ITALIAN 	MV AGUSTA TEMPORARY FORWARD MV AGUSTA
27 ANDI FARID IZDIHAR    INDONESIAN 	IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA KALEX
33 ENEA BASTIANINI       ITALIAN 	ITALTRANS RACING TEAM KALEX
35 SOMKIAT CHANTRA       THAI 		IDEMITSU HONDA TEAM ASIA KALEX
40 AUGUSTO FERNANDEZ     SPANISH 	FLEXBOX HP 40 KALEX
42 MARCOS RAMIREZ        SPANISH 	AMERICAN RACING KALEX
44 ARON CANET            SPANISH 	ANGEL NIETO TEAM SPEED UP
45 TETSUTA NAGASHIMA     JAPANESE	RED BULL KTM AJO KALEX
55 HAFIZH SYAHRIN	 MALAYSIAN 	ANGEL NIETO TEAM SPEED UP
57 EDGAR PONS 		 SPANISH 	FEDERAL OIL GRESINI Moto2 KALEX
62 STEFANO MANZI         ITALIAN 	MV AGUSTA TEMPORARY FORWARD MV AGUSTA
64 BO BENDSNEYDER        DUTCH 		NTS RW RACING GP NTS
72 MARCO BEZZECCHI       ITALIAN 	SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KALEX
87 REMY GARDNER          AUSTRALIAN 	ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM KALEX
88 JORGE MARTIN          SPANISH 	RED BULL KTM AJO KALEX
96 JAKE DIXON            BRITISH 	PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING KALEX
97 XAVI VIERGE 		 SPANISH 	PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING KALEX
99 KASMA DANIEL BIN KASMAYUDIN MAL	ONEXOX TKKR SAG TEAM KALEX

2020 Moto3 Entry List

5 JAUME MASIA        SPANISH 	LEOPARD RACING HONDA
6 RYUSEI YAMANAKA    JAPANESE 	ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 HONDA
7 DENNIS FOGGIA      ITALIAN 	LEOPARD RACING HONDA
11 SERGIO GARCIA     SPANISH 	ESTRELLA GALICIA 0,0 HONDA
12 FILIP SALAC       CZECH 	SNIPERS TEAM HONDA
13 CELESTINO VIETTI  ITALIAN 	SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KTM
14 TONY ARBOLINO     ITALIAN 	SNIPERS TEAM HONDA
16 ANDREA MIGNO      ITALIAN 	SKY RACING TEAM VR46 KTM
17 JOHN McPHEE       BRITISH 	PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING HONDA
19 GABRIEL RODRIGO   ARGENTINA  KOMMERLING GRESINI Moto3 HONDA
21 ALONSO LOPEZ      SPANISH 	STERILGARDA MAX RACING TEAM HUSQVARNA
23 NICCOLO ANTONELLI ITALIAN 	SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE HONDA
24 TATSUKI SUZUKI    JAPANESE   SIC58 SQUADRA CORSE HONDA
25 RAUL FERNANDEZ    SPANISH 	RED BULL KTM AJO KTM
27 KAITO TOBA        JAPANESE 	RED BULL KTM AJO KTM
40 DARRYN BINDER     S-AFRICAN  CIP GREEN POWER KTM
50 JASON DUPASQUIER  SWISS 	PRUESTELGP KTM
52 JEREMY ALCOBA     SPANISH 	KOMMERLING GRESINI Moto3 HONDA
53 DENIZ ONCU        TURKISH 	RED BULL KTM TECH 3 KTM
55 ROMANO FENATI     ITALIAN 	STERILGARDA MAX RACING TEAM HUSQVARNA
70 BARRY BALTUS *    BELGIAN 	PRUESTELGP KTM
71 AYUMU SASAKI      JAPANESE 	RED BULL KTM TECH 3 KTM
73 MAXIMILIAN KOFLER AUSTRIAN 	CIP GREEN POWER KTM
75 ALBERT ARENAS     SPANISH 	ANGEL NIETO TEAM KTM
76 MAKAR YURCHENKO   KAZAK 	BOE SKULL RIDER MUGEN RACE KTM
79 AI OGURA          JAPANESE 	HONDA TEAM ASIA HONDA
82 STEFANO NEPA      ITALIAN 	ANGEL NIETO TEAM KTM
84 JAKUB KORNFEIL    CZECH 	BOE SKULL RIDER MUGEN RACE KTM
89 KHAIRUL IDHAM PAWI MALAYSIAN PETRONAS SPRINTA RACING HONDA
92 YUKI KUNII        JAPANESE 	HONDA TEAM ASIA HONDA
99 CARLOS TATAY      SPANISH 	REALE AVINTIA ARIZONA 77 KTM